A Hardened Warrior

Chapter 3 - A Friendly Visit

Dear Princess Celestia,

There's been a new visitor in town, I'm not sure if he's going to harm anyone or not, so i request your presence to help deal with the situation. He walks on two legs, wears armor, and carries a sword. Please respond as soon as possible. This is of utmost importance.

Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

"Spike, come here, I have a letter for you to deliver."

"Just a sec." A few moments later, Spike arrived, taking the letter, and sending it to the princess.

"So what was it about?" Spike asked.

"A new... visitor." She said with spite, like saying the word left a bad taste on her tongue.

"Oh cool, can I meet them?" Twilight paused for a second.

"Maybe, but not yet, lets go out for lunch." Spike had been hungry all day, and lunch sounded VERY tempting right now.

"Okay, Sugar Cube Corner again?" Twilight simply nodded.

They had returned in no less than 10 minutes, biting happily into the cupcakes they bought for lunch.

"Luna, I'll be leaving shortly to help Twilight with a problem that demands my assistance. Try not to cause too much trouble."

"Very well sister, we shall try to behave." Leaving a giggling Luna to her own devices, Celestia is then escorted to the golden chariots. I'm sure it had something to do with those monsters and soldiers.

As she arrived in Ponyville, she was greeted by everypony with a bow, finding her way to Twilight's library, she opened up the door, to see a studying Twilight, almost too busy to notice the princess, but she did, and bowed respectfully.

"So, my star pupil, where is this problem you addressed earlier?"

"Over at Applejack's Orchard, the sooner this is done, the sooner I can stop worrying."

"Well then, let's not waste time." They set off towards the orchard, receiving bows from everypony they came across.

They had arrived at the entrance to the orchard, and that's when she saw him, the knight 'bucking' the trees, and collecting the apples that fell, and stood shocked. They should all be dead... they checked every corpse... why? how? Twilight had noticed this, and Celestia disregarded it as 'viewing the scenery'. Twilight still seemed worried however.

The knight, who saw what he thought he recognized as the princess, knelt to one knee and bowed, him not wearing the armor made it much easier.

"To what do I owe this pleasure of meeting the ruler?" standing back up, just about 1/2 an inch over the princess.

"You're a soldier, yes?" she had a serious tone.

"That's right, a captain under General Kendal's command." he said while saluting.

"Were you with those corpses in the field across the Everfree Forest?"

"Aye, indeed I was, they were my brothers." He was just as serious as she was. "Is there a problem Princess?"

"If you harm one hair on any of my little ponies, I will END you, is that understood?"

"Loud and clear, but i make no promises if they attack me first." He dropped his salute.

"Fine, but you will be watched very closely, and i will know first hoof if you do something to my subjects."

"I'm very aware of that, you're scouts aren't subtle, and so far, I could care less about what you do to me." She looked slightly confused. "Any why is that?" His face became very stern. "Because I've lost everything, I can't go home, my men and general are most likely all dead, and I've no one to turn to." This struck her like a chord, leaving her in a look of pity.

"Are you able to perform magic?" She asked somewhat quieter.

"Yes, but only holy magic, I haven't been trained in anything else." Celestia looked very confused at that statement, and took a moment before continuing.

"Very well, I shall see to it that you are given a chance, but my threat still stands. I will NOT have any mercy for you."

"Understood." With a quick nod, she turned around, and began her walk to the chariot awaiting her at the library. All the while leaving a slightly concerned look on her face, one no one could detect under her poker face.

The Princess and Pupil were walking back to the chariot at the library when Twilight spoke up.

"I still don't trust him Princess."

"Nor do I, he reminds me of Discord, but we should at least give him a chance."

"I know Princess, I just don't like taking these kind of chances, especially with a monster like him." They had arrived, and said their goodbyes. "I wish you well Twilight, take care, and keep me informed of him." Twilight simply nodded, and replied "Goodbye Princess." The chariot began the ride back to the palace, and Twilight had some favors to ask of her friends.

two days later

A scream could be heard in the distance, alarming Roderick who grabbed his sword and ran off towards the sound. not even a minute later, he saw the infamous three fillies being chase by five or six timber wolves, he readied himself for the fight, the wolves quickly surrounded him. As the first one charged, he brought the large sword down upon its head, and readied himself for the next one. To his dismay, three of them attacked him at once, he killed one, but the other two landed on his left thigh and his right shoulder. He ran the wolf on his shoulder through, still feeling the pain from the one on his leg. by now the others started biting and clawing, until the last one was standing, it had fear in it's eyes, and i took off. Roderick was bleeding badly, so he slumped against the nearest tree, and casted his holy magic, curatio, and closed the majority of the wounds.

"I ain't never seen nothing like THAT before!" AJ had been watching, and she had a look of shock on her face, trying to ignore the remains of the wolves and how he brutally chopped them to pieces without any compassion.

"It's called holy magic, that particular spell is called 'Curatio'." He replied, while standing back up

"Well, ah think we should get back to tha farm"

"Agreed, but, are those fillies always getting into trouble like this?"

"Sadly... yes, they're a hoofful, but they are just fillies"

"Well then, let's be off" Roderick had casted it a second time to minimize the damage, and began jogging back to the orchard.

"So... how can you just... kill... them like that? Don't it bother you?" She looked disgusted.

"It's not surprising how you react to a fight like that, I hold no compassion for my enemy, but I will bring them a swift death." He stated coldly. "I think of them as monsters, like those... things at the field, they killed with no care in the world. My General called them 'Encablossa', the name of the god of darkness, and enemy of Nibel, goddess of light."

"So, yer saying yer some kinda angel or sumthin? Cuz angels don't do that." She looked slightly annoyed, but curios none the less.

"No, I'm not an angel, I am but a man, a man who fights for his home, and his people, so they may live in peace. I would give anything to see what peace has come to the land, but i have nothing anymore." He had a look of defeat on his face, as well as anger. The rest of the trip back was silent, until the three saw their 'savior' and ran up to him, asking lots of questions, more or less pertaining to how he fought them without fear, and he answered, but left out the gory details to avoid horrifying the young ones. They had a celebratory feast that night, and slept well.

Rarity came by to give her thanks to the knight, only to have it dismissed as simply 'defending the weak'. She had started looking at him differently, and began asking him questions as well, which he answered without hesitation, but leaving out some details.

Twilight and the rest came by later to get the whole story, which started to annoy him, but he told them anyways. Twilight and Rainbow Dash stayed after to listen to the gruesome details of his war in his world, and they left mortified, after which he stated he will tell no'pony' else.